Gastrointestinal tract mucosal immune system

Oral delivery of drugs with microparticles is often used for vaccination. Oral administration of vaccines dehvers molecules to the gastrointestinal tract, the largest mucosal surface in the body. The gastrointestinal tract is rich in lymphoid tissue and thus gives access to the common mucosal immune system. Rajkannan et al. developed... 

An important component of the immune system that was neglected until recently is located in the mucous membranes and the skin.9 30 43 433 The mucosal surfaces of airways and the gastrointestinal tract provide the point of entry for many diseases. Both internal and external body surfaces are protected by... 

Inflammatory influences. Inflammation (p. 1211), which usually accompanies infection and can also arise from allergic responses, is affected by many substances.2293-6 These include chemotactic factors that attract neutrophils and monocytes2220 2294 and the adhesion molecules that assist in the movement of lymphocytes. 229e/f Some epithelial tissues, such as the mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract, are maintained in a continuous very low level of inflammation. This reflects the balance between activation of the immune system and inhibition of the system by signals from microorganisms both pathogenic and commensal 229 h... 

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